A 45-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of abdominal cramping, vomiting, and watery diarrhea for the past 4 hours. One day ago, she went to a seafood restaurant with her family to celebrate her birthday. Three of the attendees have developed similar symptoms. The patient appears lethargic. Her temperature is 38.8°C (101.8°F). A comma-shaped, oxidase-positive, gram-negative rod naturally found in salt water is implicated in her illness. Stool microscopy is most likely to demonstrate which of the following findings?

Question

A 45-year-old woman comes to the emergency department because of abdominal cramping, vomiting, and watery diarrhea for the past 4 hours. One day ago, she went to a seafood restaurant with her family to celebrate her birthday. Three of the attendees have developed similar symptoms. The patient appears lethargic. Her temperature is 38.8°C (101.8°F). A comma-shaped, oxidase-positive, gram-negative rod naturally found in salt water is implicated in her illness.  Stool microscopy is most likely to demonstrate which of the following findings?

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Eductional Objective: Vibrio cholerae is typically caused by eating raw or undercooked shellfish. Patients present with fever, abdominal cramps, vomiting, and watery/bloody diarrhea 12-52 hours after ingesting the contaminated shellfish. The toxins secreted by these organisms modify electrolyte handling by enterocytes but do not cause cell death; therefore, no erythrocytes or leukocytes are typically noted on stool microscopy.

A 45-Year-Old Woman Comes to the Emergency Department Because of Abdominal